“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” – George Orwell, 1984
In one of his most recent attempts at authoritarianism, Donald Trump has instructed government lawyers to inspect museum exhibits and eliminate content that ‘makes America look bad’, whether its true or not. He seems especially concerned with making slavery look like a good time.
Trump posted on his social media app that museum exhibits show “how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was.” I have news for you, Donald. Slavery was bad. In fact, it was more than bad. It was horrific.
Trump seems determined to erase all our past faults – slavery, indentured servitude, genocide of Native American peoples – it seems likely that all this will be erased. If it doesn’t shine a glowing light on US history, its destined for the dustbin.
By hiding our history, Trump wants to change what this country is. We cannot allow it. If the dark stories in our history disappear from museum exhibits, we must tell the stories. We must share the information. We must preserve the books. We must teach the children if no one else will. We cannot allow the Trump regime to control the future by eliminating our past.
Amy Weeks
Columbia Falls